Azerbaijan

July 14, 2026 13:40

• The defendants in the Toplum TV case made their final statements in court.

  The head of the Institute of Democratic Initiatives, Akif Gurbanov, speaking with his final word in court, stated the unfounded nature of the accusations and the lack of evidence of his guilt. A member of the Institute of Democratic Initiatives, Ruslan Izzetli, and Toplum TV employee Farid Ismailov also rejected the accusations.

July 13, 2026 19:50

• Iqbal Abilov's relatives reported his torture in the pre-trial detention center.

  Relatives and the lawyer of the convicted researcher of Talysh culture, Iqbal Abilov, reported that he was subjected to torture in the Baku pre-trial detention center. The reason for the pressure could have been Abilov's appearance in court wearing a Talysh-language t-shirt, his relatives believe.

July 13, 2026 03:00

• Mass poisoning occurred in Azerbaijan

  In Ganja, eight participants of the memorial ceremony were hospitalized with symptoms of poisoning.

July 13, 2026 01:00

• Analysts pointed to the political motives behind the discussion of the Circassian issue in Shusha.

  The conference in Shusha, whose participants called on Russia to recognize the genocide of the Circassians, showed Baku's irritation at the pressure on the Azerbaijani diaspora in Russia and the possibility of creating problems by supporting the national aspirations of the peoples of the Russian Federation, Azerbaijani analysts noted. Azerbaijan's interest in the Circassian issue could be part of the country's desire to reduce Russian influence, but the motivation of the conference organizers takes a back seat to the importance of the topic, Circassian activists believe.

July 11, 2026 15:01

• The administration of the correctional institution is seeking to tighten the regime for Nijad Ibrahim.

  Azerbaijani activist Nijad Ibrahim may be transferred to a closed-type prison for three years at the initiative of the leadership of correctional institution No. 10. His wife and lawyer called the grounds for tightening the regime fabricated.

July 11, 2026 11:26

• The accused in the murder of Fatima Kerimova has been detained in Batumi.

  In Batumi, the cousin of 20-year-old Azerbaijani resident Fatima Kerimova, Emin Aliyev, has been detained. Human rights activists believe that he killed his sister at the behest of relatives who considered Kerimova's departure with her boyfriend to Georgia a disgraceful escape for the family.

July 11, 2026 02:32

• Azerbaijan has joined the ranks of European countries with the highest incarceration rates.

  In Azerbaijan, the number of prisoners in prisons exceeds the number of convicted individuals under probation supervision, according to a new report from the Council of Europe. The number of individuals under probation supervision in the country has increased, but alternative punishment measures are still applied limitedly.

July 10, 2026 12:44

• The appellate court upheld the refusal of opposition member Samir Ashurov for conditional early release.

  The appellate court in Azerbaijan deemed the refusal of opposition member Samir Ashurov for conditional early release after serving two-thirds of his prison sentence to be lawful. The opposition member's wife called this decision politically motivated.

July 10, 2026 01:52

• Nargiz Mukhtarova was sentenced to a conditional term.

  The court in Baku sentenced activist Nargiz Mukhtarova to 7.5 years of conditional imprisonment on charges of legalizing illegal income. She did not plead guilty.

July 09, 2026 12:58

• The Commissioner of the Council of Europe requested explanations from Baku regarding the case of Afghan Sadigov.

  The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Michael O'Flaherty, called on the authorities of Azerbaijan to provide information on the reasons for the resumption of the criminal case against journalist Afghan Sadigov. He noted that pre-trial detention should be applied as an exceptional measure. The Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office stated that the journalist's case is related to criminal charges and has nothing to do with his activities.

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